Watch TLC Guess The Lyrics to Your Favorite '90s Songs

A lot has changed in the world in the past two decades, but with their first album in 15 years, TLC proves some things haven’t. Themes from your favorite '90s R&B songs manifest in the band's new self-titled record, with songs like “Haters,” a back-off warning against modern-day scrubs (which they still don’t want, by the way), and “Perfect Girls," reminiscent of “Unpretty”—reiterating themes of self-love and challenging mainstream body-image ideals, a message the band says is even more important in today's social media-obsessed society.

Their leading single from the album, "Way Back" with Snoop Dogg, says it all in the hook: "You and me, we go way back." Though Chilli (Rozonda Thomas) and T-Boz (Tionne Watkins) sing it together, perhaps even to each other, the message really feels directed to their loyal fans.

TLC in 1996.

Getty Images

This is first album without Lisa "Lefteye" Lopes, the trio’s creative pillar who died in a car accident in 2002. (Their album 3D, released seven months after her death, still included some of her original verses.) On this record, the now-duo include a snippet of one of her interviews in the interlude, proving her legacy, like the songs they made with her, lives on.

Before releasing their fifth and final album, TLC talked to BAZAAR.com about music, fans and social media.

Though they've still been performing together in recent years, T-Boz and Chilli waited for the right time to start making new music again.

Chilli: The timing is everything, and the time presented itself to us and we had to jump on that bandwagon. Our fans are always asking, "You need another album. When are you all coming back out?" And you want to say, "Yeah, we're coming back," ‘cause that's what we want to do, but it was just not the right time during those years.

T-Boz: I think we had a taste of it when we did the CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story [their 2013 VH1 television biopic]. Ne-Yo wrote a song called "Meant to Be," and it kind of summed up our life on a song, and just listening to that was really emotional at first, ‘cause we were like, "That's our whole story in a song!" But that gave us a little taste of being back in the studio, and then I think it really gave her the [push to start recording again]. I think I was the slow dragging over here.

C: She was like molasses! Like, what's thicker than molasses?

T-: Thick asses? I don’t know!

C: I was always like come on, come on, come on, but it was meant to be because she came around—and here we are!

T: But it was the timing. That’s important. ‘Cause I'm the type of person where, if I don't feel it, it'll show.

C: And when we're not loving this anymore, obviously that's when it's time to stop.

In 2015, TLC announced they were releasing a new album via Kickstarter. Though they had an initial goal of $150,000, eager donations from fans and other artists helped them reach more than $400,000. But for the band, using Kickstarter wasn't about asking for money, but rather about having creative freedom.

C: We always do stuff outside of the box, but our manager Bill Diggins came to us about that idea and at first we were like, "Uh-uh we don't know about that," because we didn't understand it fully. We were thinking people are gonna talk all this crazy stuff about us or whatever—that we're begging for money to do new album, but that's not how it was at all. He broke it down letting us know that we have free reign over everything, we don't have to worry about someone at the record company saying "Hey, do this. Don't do that." We have freedom.

T: That's everything. Don't have to listen to the label heads, don't have to turn stuff in to anybody. We get to make our own choices. But the thing that made our campaign so fun is that we gave rewards. Sleepovers, personalized voicemails, vinyl records—it was just anything you could think of. Dance sessions. It made it fun.

That freedom allowed for them to make the production process really interactive with fans. In May, they asked their followers on Twitter for album name suggestions, which ultimately led to the eponymous title they have now. They even included fans as extras in their "Way Back" music video.

C: They got involved. That was another thing: we wanted to do it with them. So, you know just getting all of those ideas and then us coming up with rewards for them, I mean that was so much fun.

T: We went to the movies already and stuff like that, but we went on tour right after. But I think the sleepovers are coming.

C: I'm ready. Are you ready? [turns to T-Boz]

T: Sorta. I just don't want nobody wake up over me like this: [whispers with wide eyes] "T-Boz…” You know, I get those ones! Those like, [whispers again] "I've always loved you." Like, that scares me a little bit. I'm just saying!

Those projects are just a testament to the duo's close relationship with their fans.

C: It's weird, it's almost like we're family, you know? There is this crew that's been there since day one.

T: TLC Army.

C: Everything, even in London, they showed up to. You're like, "You're buying a ticket to come to London to see us, and you've seen us a thousand times?" "Yes!"

Touring in 2015.

Getty Images

T: And I ask, "Don't y'all get tired of seeing the show?" And they say no! And I love Michael Jackson and Prince—I don't even know if I would go that many times for MJ! They came on the New Kids on the Block Tour ten times!

C: And other little spot dates that we did. They were right there.

T: They know the little routines and stuff, but they're awesome 'cause they've grown with us. Some of them have had children and now their children are into us, so we have generations at our concerts. So that makes it so awesome.

Eighteen years after releasing "Unpretty"—which encouraged self-love and got real about the pressures of adhering to popular beauty standards—the duo feels its message is still relevant today, especially at a time when people seek validation on social media.

C: We feel it's always important, and obviously a little bit more now because when we first came out, there wasn’t social media. Not like it is today. So I think they need to hear those kinds of things more than ever. With some of the songs we have on the album like "Perfect Girls," I mean, who's perfect? No one is perfect, but by the time you see that picture on Instagram with that perfect lighting and the perfect filter that you love so much, I mean you don't even look like that. And that stuff is cute to do. It’s fun sometimes, but there are people that they live for this stuff.

T: Oh, if Instagram were to go tomorrow, there would be a lot of jobless people. How candid can I be? Can I really say what I want?

C: You're in TLC!

T: I mean, hoes are winning right now. You know what I'm saying?

C: They kinda been winning, but it's popular now.

T: They make it seem really cool to be a hoe, I'm just saying. Hoes are really winning, so little girls are out here thinking, "Oh, if I sell my body, if I do this, or do that, I can become this." That ain't used to be the goal. It used to be bigger than just being an Instagram model. And now, "Instagram model" has turned into "Public Figure." I thought we was public figures! You know what I'm saying? What is this public figure thing? What does that mean? I mean call a spade a spade. So, that’s the reason why you can't reiterate songs like "Unpretty" or "Perfect Girls" over and over again, because you're chasing a goal that's never gonna exist. No one's perfect. We're all flawed. We all have insecurities or have had them at one point. So, the realistic thing is, you have to work from the inside out. There's a lot of people who've had surgery on the outside, but if you don't work from within, you'll never be happy.

C: Yeah, you're still gonna see some flaws.

T: You're still like the ugly duckling on the inside.

Stream TLC's new self-titled album below.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Erica GonzalesErica Gonzales is the News and Entertainment Editor for BAZAAR.com covering celebrity, entertainment, fashion, and royal news.

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